Marijuana possession, advertising banned at Las Vegas airport

Clark County commissioners voted unanimously today to ban the possession or advertisement of legal marijuana at McCarran International Airport and other properties overseen by the county's aviation division.

The ordinance only applies to advertisements overseen by the airport, such as those in displayed on screens and fixed signs around baggage claim. It also applies to mobile billboards, which are required to obtain a permit to operate on airport property.

The ordinance does not apply to advertising on personal vehicles or taxis that drive onto airport property to park or transport passengers. It also is not expected to affect Allegiant Air’s in-flight magazine, which as of Friday has been running marijuana-related advertisements.

Violators could face a misdemeanor charge or civil fines. Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis will be in charge of setting the amounts for the civil fines.

The intent of the ordinance is to ensure distance between the state’s legalized weed industry and the Federal Aviation Administration, which still considers marijuana an illegal substance.

Commissioners in early August discussed implementing a more stringent airport ban that would have applied to commercial taxis, but Vassiliadis and others characterized that as impossible to enforce and outside the scope of what was needed to stay in federal compliance.

In addition to McCarran, Clark County oversees several smaller, noncommercial airports, including North Las Vegas Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, Jean Airport and Overton Municipal Airport. It also owns several business complexes that lease space to private companies.